Both animals were used for meat? Is the other one a cow? The other profession has to do with the purpose the meat animals are used for?

In case the other animal isn't a cow ... Domestic? Native to Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America or South America? Vertebrate? Mammal? Reptile? A bird? Does it have gills or lungs? How many legs? Does it have fur?

Is the other profession from these fields: Commercial? Governance? Entertainment? Information technology? Medical? Agriculture? Publishing? Banking or other fiscal field? Sports ( i consider this to be from the field of entertainment, but... )? Research? Education? Mining or other kind of harvesting of natural resources? Military? Security or police? ...Music?

And the purpose for which these are used: Both animals and the other profession used for this purpose? Could be used for this purpose? Is the purpose from any of the aforementioned fields?

Both animals were used for meat? No. Only one is used for meat. Is the other one a cow? No.The other profession has to do with the purpose the meat animals are used for? No, and there's an FA lurking...

In case the other animal isn't a cow ... Domestic? No.Native to Africa, Here,Antarctica, not here,Asia, here,Australia, and here.Europe, no,North America no, or South America? and yes.Vertebrate? Mammal? Reptile? Reptile.How many legs? four

Is the other profession from these fields: there's the FA again...Commercial? Governance? Entertainment? this one is closest, but it's not very close. Sort out the FA.Information technology? Medical? Agriculture? Publishing? Banking or other fiscal field? Sports ( i consider this to be from the field of entertainment, but... )? Research? Education? Mining or other kind of harvesting of natural resources? Military? Security or police? ...Music?

And the purpose for which these which "these"? are used: Both animals and the other profession used for this purpose? No.Could be used for this purpose? Is the purpose from any of the aforementioned fields? No. The chickens were used for food. The other animals had another purpose, for svv of "purpose". The group of people mentioned in the original statement that I read had still another purpose. The politicians are useless, and I stuck them into the situation to create the puzzle.

Is the other profession a zookeep? A cook or some other profession working in a restaurant? Food industry?

Is the other animal bigger or smaller than a man? Carnivorous or herbivorous? Omnivorous? Extinct or not? Are the chicken fed to the reptile? Does the reptile eat the chicken? Is the chicken served as reptile? Is the reptile a crocodile?

Is the other profession a zookeep? No, but you're heading in the right direction. A sort of zoo is involved.A cook or some other profession working in a restaurant? No.Food industry? No.

Is the other animal bigger or smaller than a man? Could be either, but probably bigger.Carnivorous or herbivorous? Omnivorous? Carnivorous. Extremely carnivorous.Extinct or not? No.Are the chicken fed to the reptile? They are indeed!Does the reptile eat the chicken? That too.Is the chicken served as reptile? Huh? No.Is the reptile a crocodile? YES!

You've made some nice progress here, even if you don't see it. Trust me.

So... the crocodiles are being fed chickens? Either that or they're eating them from people's back yards? And the profession that is trying to take care of this is... the wildlife refuge folks? Those people in charge of capturing wild animals and releasing them into the wild... whose name I can't remember for the life of me... Animal Control! And now they're having trouble keeping the crocodiles fed... because they're running out of chicken? So they want to feed the politicians to the crocodiles? Or do they want the politicians to lure/drive the crocodiles away from civilization?

So... the crocodiles are being fed chickens? Exactly!Either that or they're eating them from people's back yards? No.

And the profession that is trying to take care of this is... the wildlife refuge folks? No, but the crocs are in a refuge. Those people in charge of capturing wild animals and releasing them into the wild... whose name I can't remember for the life of me... Animal Control! none of these, and you're back at the FA that cropped up before. Hunt it down and kill it. It's getting in your way.

And now they're having trouble keeping the crocodiles fed... because they're running out of chicken? Yes, exactly. So they want to feed the politicians to the crocodiles? No. Remember, I said that I added the politicians. Based on what I read, I suggested feeding the politicains to the crocodiles. Or do they want the politicians to lure/drive the crocodiles away from civilization? No.

Is this a particular group of crocodiles? Would it help to discover more about their location?

Is this a particular group of politicians? Or will any of them do?

Is this a particular group of chickens?

The other people (non-politicians) involved: do they belong to a particular group? are they linked by a common profession? a common location? members of the same family? friends? share a common interest? members of some organisation? Are there fewer than 5 of them? fewer than 15? fewer than 58? fewer than 523? fewer than 3271?

Is there a need for... preventing tourists from getting hurt? No.getting them to feed the crocodiles? Yesish. getting them to stop feeding the crocodiles? No.helping the crocs with their indigestion? No.

Tony (E20) on Friday, July 22, 2005 - 10:05 am

Is this a particular group of crocodiles? Yes. Would it help to discover more about their location? \b{It could be helpful...}

Is this a particular group of politicians? No. Or will any of them do? Any would do.

Is this a particular group of chickens? Beyond that they are chickens relatively local to the crocodiles, no.

The other people (non-politicians) involved: do they belong to a particular group? Yes, for one sense of "group".are they linked by a common profession? NO! That's the FA that's been plaguing Lisa. Thank you for swatting it.a common location? Yope.members of the same family? Some are, some aren't.friends? Some are, some aren't.share a common interest? They all have one interest in common, and presumably, they're also all interested in crocodiles, to varying degrees. members of some organisation? Not really, no.

Are there fewer than 5 of them? No.fewer than 15? No.fewer than 58? No.fewer than 523? Nofewer than 3271? No.

Are the crocs in a specific place? Yes.A national park? No. Is it any kind of tourist attraction? Yes. It's a crocodile breeding farm in North Sumatra.Is the group of non-politicians tourists? YES!

So we've got the tourists, and we've got the crocs at the breeding farm (which is a tourist attraction as well,) and we've got the chickens that the crocs eat. And we've got the politicians who are a part of the puzzle, but not involved in the actual situation. You've got all the pieces, all you have to do is find out how they fit together and why I thought that politicians might serve as a replacement.

Was a rule instituted that only chickens could be fed to the crocodiles? And there was a shortage of chicken so not everybody could feed the crocodiles? Thus, you piped in with the idea to throw in some other sorts of chicken? Coward politicians?

Was a rule instituted that only chickens could be fed to the crocodiles? No to "a rule," but you're correct that the chickens were fed to the crocodiles.And there was a shortage A shortage? Yes...of chicken but not of chickens...so not everybody could feed the crocodiles? However, the crocs were in danger of going hungry...

Thus, you piped in with the idea to throw in some other sorts of chicken? Coward politicians? Mmm, no-ish.

Would this work as well if something other than chicken (say, fish for example) were the primary feed for the crocs? Do you have a grudge against politicians in general? Shortage - of crocs? Politicians? Money?

Would this work as well if something other than chicken (say, fish for example) were the primary feed for the crocs? Yes, as long as it was purchased locally...

Do you have a grudge against politicians in general? Not a grudge as such, but it's true that I don't have much use for the large majority of them, which does color what I think would be a suitable use for them.

Shortage - of crocs? No. Politicians? Not them, either, Money? YES! a shortage of money, because of another shortage, which you need to find out...

So, someone is breeding crocs for some commercial purpose? Is this a zoo? Relevant what the money is/would be used for? Do they have a (potential) source of income, X, which we need to find out about? If so, is X directly related to the crocs? To the chicken?

So, someone is breeding crocs for some commercial purpose? For some purpose, yes, but I don't know what the purpose is, so it's irrelevant.

Is this a zoo? Breeding farm /tourist attraction.

Relevant what the money is/would be used for? YES!Do they have a (potential) source of income, X, which we need to find out about? Not potential. It's an actual source, and if you put all the pieces together, you already know about it...

If so, is X directly related to the crocs? Mmmm, yes, for svv of "directly"

So they sell crocodile products? Charge people to come and see the crocs? Money is used for general expenses to do with the upkeep of the croc farm (pay employees, building maintenance etc.)? Money is used for byuing croc food? Is it something like more people would come, and/or they would pay more to get to look if the croc food was politicians rather than chicken?

But politicians would be cheaper? Because politicians generally are "cheap" people? Is the idea to avoid spending money? Or to increase income? Relevant that if they used politicians as croc food, they'd need fewer or no chicken?

Relevant that Sumatra is part of Indonesia, if I recall my geography correctly If you're asking if last December's tsunami is relevant, it's highly likely that it had something to do with the situation. I don't know for sure, though.

(i.e. would this work if the tourist attraction is in some other country)? It could work anywhere there are crocodiles, if the financial arrangements are the same. On further thought, it could work anywhere there are large carnivores that tourists like to look at, if the financial arrangements are the same.

So, there is a shortage of money, caused by a shortage of visitors? And by using politicians, the croc farmers could conceivably get more visitors? Or are the politicians themselves supposed to pay an entrance fee, thus counting as visitors? The main idea here is to have more people visit and pay an entrance fee, right? And that goal could be achieved by feeding politicians to the crocs?

No money means no chickens, which means no feeding the crocs, which means no tourists, which means no money. To break out of this cycle, you say, they could use politicians instead of chickens, because politicians can be bought for next to nothing. ?

So, there is a shortage of money, caused by a shortage of visitors? precisely!

And by using politicians, the croc farmers could conceivably get more visitors? No.

Or are the politicians themselves supposed to pay an entrance fee, thus counting as visitors? No.

The main idea here is to have more people visit and pay an entrance fee, right? Yope, but looking at it that way is likely to mislead.

And that goal could be achieved by feeding politicians to the crocs? No, but my musing "Why don't they use politicians instead?" did refer to feeding the politicians to the crocs.

John Morahan (Wunderland) on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 07:12 am

No money means no chickens, True,which means no feeding the crocs, and true,which means no tourists, and true, again,which means no money. and true. But you started the cycle in the wrong place...See the answer to Torgeir's first question above.

To break out of this cycle, you say, they could use politicians instead of chickens, No-ish. Let the politicians go for now; I added the politicians, remember. They weren't involved in the original statement that inspired the puzzle.

because politicians can be bought for next to nothing? Well, yes, and because as far as I'm concerned, it would be no great loss to use most politicians that way.

Further hint: The original thing that I read was a newspaper headline.

Does your scheme depend on politicians being available for free? No, the cost of the politicians is irrelevant.Or will it work even if the price per kilogram is the same for politicians an chicken? No. When I suggested politicians, I didn't even know that chickens were involved. I was suggesting them as a substitute for something else...

"Something else" - something we haven't discovered yet? You suggest politicians are to be fed to the crocs, but not as a substitute for the chicken? Would the politicians be employees of the croc farm?

"Something else" - something we haven't discovered yet? No, you've got all the players--the crocs, the chickens, the tourists and the politicians...

You suggest politicians are to be fed to the crocs, but not as a substitute for the chicken? I didn't know about the chickens when I suggested the politicians... see the answer to John's question following.

Would the politicians be employees of the croc farm? No.

John Morahan (Wunderland) on Friday, July 29, 2005 - 07:36 pm

Was the original statement badly phrased? Very much so!so that it sounded like the tourists were being fed to the crocs? He shoots! He scores! And the crowd goes wild!!

err, Yes.

Close enough for a

.........SPOILER............

A headline in the Jakarta Post during the first week of July this year: "Crocodiles Go Hungry due to Shortage of Tourists".

The story beneath was banal by comparison: "The Asam Kumbang Crocodile Breeding Farm ... in North Sumatra, needs the entrance fees from tourists to buy the ton of chicken meat needed every day to feed an estimated 2,700 animals."

So I read the headline, and thought to myself, "Well, if the tourists are getting too scarce, they could always use politicians..."

Bravo to all, and a big YAY! to John for putting this one away. I was beginning to fear that it wasn't going to work.